The prophecy in this chapter ts thought by some to relate to the latter times of the world, when God shall finally deliver his people from all their adversaries; and it must be confessed that the figures employed are so lofty as to render it impossible to restrain the whole of their import to any events prior to the commencement of the Christian era. The whole prophecy is delivered in a very beautiful strain of poetry; by what particular events are referred to is at present very uncertain, 1-21.

NOTES ON CHAP. III

Verse 1. "For, behold, in those days" - According to the preceding prophecy, these days should refer to Gospel times, or to such as should immediately precede them. But this is a part of the prophecy which is difficult to be understood. All interpreters are at variance upon it; some applying its principal parts to Cambyses; his unfortunate expedition to Egypt; the destruetion of fifty thousand of his troops (by the moving pillars of sand) whom he had sent across the desert to plunder the richtemple of Jupiter Ammon; his return to Judea, and dying of a wound which he received from his own sword, in mounting his horse, which happened at Ecbatane, at the foot of Mount Carmel. On which his army, composed of different nations, seeing themselves without a head, fell out, and fought against each other, till the whole were destroyed. And this is supposed to be what Ezekiel means by Gog and Magog, and the destruction of the former. See Ezek. xxxviii. and 39.

Others apply this to the victoriesgained by the Maccabees, and to the destruction brought upon the enemies of their country; while several consider the whole as a figurative prediction of the success of the Gospel among the nations of the earth. It may refer to those times in which the Jews shall be brought in with the fullness of the Gentiles, and be re-established in their own land. Or there may be portions in this prophecy that refer to all the events; and to others that have not fallen yet within the range of human conjecture, and will be only known when the time of fulfillment shall take place. In this painful uncertainty, rendered still more so by the discordant opinions of many wise and learned men, it appears to be my province, as I have nothing in the form of a new conjecture to offer, to confine myself to an explanation of the phraseology of the chapter; and then leave the reader to apply it as may seem best to his own judgment.

"I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem." - This may refer to the return from the Babylonish captivity; extending also to the restoration of Israel, or the ten tribes.

Verse 3. "Have given a boy for a harlot" - To such wretched circumstances were the poorJews reduced in their captivity, that their children were sold by their oppressors; and both males and females used for the basest purposes. And they were often bartered for the necessaries or luxuries of life. Or this may refer to the issue of the Chaldean war in Judea, where the captives were divided among the victors. And being set in companies, they cast lots for them: and those to whom they fell sold them for various purposes; the boys to be slaves and catamites, the girls to be prostitutes; and in return for them they got wine and such things. I think this is the meaning of the text.

Verse 4. "What have ve to do with me" - Why have the Syrians and Sidonians joined their other enemies to oppress my people? for they who touch my people touch me.

"Will ye render me a recompense?" - Do you think by this to avenge yourselves upon the Almighty? to retaliate upon God! Proceed, and speedily will I return your recompense; I will retaliate.

Verse 6. "Sold unto the Grecians" - These were the descendants of Javan, Gen. x. 2-5. And with them the Tyrians trafficked, Ezek. xxvii. 19.

"That ye might remove them far from their border." - Intending to send them as far off as possible, that it might be impossible for them to get back to reclaim the land of which you had dispossessed them.

Verse 7. "I will raise them" - I shall find means to bring them back from the place whither ye have sold them, and they shall retaliate upon you the injuries they have sustained. It is said that Alexander and his successors set at liberty many Jews that had been sold into Greece. And it is likely that many returned from different lands, on the publication of the edict of Cyrus.
- Newcome.

Verse 8. "I will sell your sons" - When Alexander took Tyre, he reduced into slavery all the lower people, and the women. Arrian, lib. ii., says that thirty thousand of them were sold. Artaxerxes Ochus destroyedSidon, and subdued the other cities of Phoenicia. In all these wars, says Calmet, the Jews, who obeyed the Persians, did not neglect to purchase Phoenician slaves, whom they sold again to the Sabeans, or Arabs.

Verse 9. "Prepare war" - Let all the enemies of God and of his people join together; let them even call all the tillers of the ground to their assistance, instead of labouring in the field; let every peasant become a soldier. Let them turn their agricultural implements into offensiveweapons, so that the weak, being well armed, may confidently say, I am strong: yet, when thus collected and armed, Jehovah will bring down thy mighty ones; for so the clause in ver. 11 should be rendered.

Verse 12. "Let the heathen be wakened" - The heathen shall be wakened.

"The valley of Jehoshaphat" - Any place where God may choose to display his judgments against his enemies.

Verse 13. "Put ye in the sickle" - The destruction of his enemies is represented here under the metaphor of reaping down the harvest; and of gathering the grapes, and treading them in the wine-presses.

Verse 15. "The sun and the moon shall be darkened" - High and mighty states shall be eclipsed, and brought to ruin, and the stars-petty states, princes, and governors-shall withdraw their shining; withhold their influence and tribute from the kingdoms to which they have belonged, and set up themselves as independent governors.

Verse 16. "The Lord also shall roar out of Zion" - His temple and worship shall be reestablished there, and he will thence denounce his judgments against the nations. "The heavens and the earth shall shake." There shall be great commotions in powerful empires and their dependencies; but in all these things his own people shall be unmoved, for God shall be their hope and strength.

"And all the rivers of Judah" - Far from being generally dry in the summer, shall have their channels always full of water.

"And a fountain shall come forth of the house of the Lord" - See the account of the typical waters in Ezekiel 47., to which this seems to have a reference; at least the subject is the same, and seems to point out the grace of the Gospel, the waters of salvation, that shall flow from Jerusalem, and water the valley of Shittim. Shittim was in the plains of Moab beyond Jordan; Numbers xxxiii. 49; Josh. iii. 1; but as no stream of water could flow from the temple, pass across Jordan, or reach this plain, the valley of Shittim must be considered symbolical, as the valley of Jehoshaphat. But as Shittim may signify thorns, it may figuratively represent the most uncultivated and ferocious inhabitants of the earth receiving the Gospel of Christ, and being civilized and saved by it. We know that briers and thorns are emblems of bad men; see Ezek. ii. 6. Thus all the figures in this verse will point out the happy times of the Gospel: the mountains shall drop down new wine; the hills flow with milk; the thorny valleys become fertile, &c. Similar to those almost parallel words of the prince of poets:-

Verse 19. "Egypt shall be a desolation" - While peace, plenty, and prosperity of every kind, shall crown my people, all their enemies shall be as a wilderness; and those who have used violence against the saints of God, and shed the blood of innocents (of the holy MARTYRS) in their land, when they had political power; these and all such shall fall under the just judgments of God.

Verse 21. "For I will cleanse their blood" - ytyqn nikkeythi, 1 will avenge the slaughter and martyrdom of my people, which I have not yet avenged.

Persecuting nations and persecuting Churches shall all come, sooner or later, under the stroke of vindictive justice.

"For the Lord dwelleth in Zion." - He shall be the life, soul, spirit, and defense of his Church for ever. THIS prophet, who has many things similar to Ezekiel, ends his prophecy nearly in the same way: Ezekiel says of the glory of the Church, hm hwhy Yehovah shammah, THE LORD IS THERE.